England started their World Cup campaign in style with a statement 4-2 victory over Croatia, but concerns over two of Thomas Tuchel's most important players emerged post-match. However, the England boss has received a double fitness boost regarding Harry Kane and Declan Rice.
Kane's Calf Strapping Explained
Harry Kane was seen with strapping around his left calf after England's win over Croatia in their Group opener. The Two-goal Kane, who equalled Gary Lineker's World Cup England goals record, is understood to be fine. The strapping was just a precaution because of cramp, alleviating fears over the captain's fitness.
Rice's Injury Not Serious
Declan Rice also came off during the match, and Tuchel revealed that the Arsenal midfielder had suffered an injury to his lower back. But Rice is also fine, and his substitution was purely precautionary. This is a major boost for England, as Rice is another key player for the team.
Tuchel spoke about Rice's withdrawal after the game when asked by reporters. He admitted that he would never normally consider taking the Arsenal star off, but he was taking no risks.
“Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort,” Tuchel said. “I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort. I didn’t want to take any risk, so I decided to take Declan off – which I never wanted to do – but it was the moment to protect him, and I think Reece James did so well to replace him in the central midfield. [Rice] had a fantastic game, so I hope it’s nothing more, and he just reassured me at the end: ‘It’s good, and I know the discomfort’. We will take care of it, and this is nothing big to worry about.”
Next Up: Ghana in Boston
Tuchel’s next game is against Ghana in Boston next Tuesday, when they will hope to take another step towards topping the Group and following the top seed’s path through the knockout stages.
